The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 568

The Metropolitan Plaza Café, 3:00 PM.

By the time Lyra arrived, Christian Lancaster was already there.

She had driven herself today. When she handed the keys to the valet, her hands were trembling. Every step from the parking garage to the elevator, and from the lobby to the café, felt like she was walking on air.

He was sitting by the window, an untouched black coffee resting in front of him. Outside, the avenue was a blur of heavy traffic. The afternoon sun reflected off the glass, casting a sharp line of light and shadow across his face.

He wore a dark gray dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, no tie. He looked casual, but that overwhelming, suffocating aura remained—just sitting there, he commanded a five-foot radius of absolute intimidation.

Lyra stood at the entrance of the café, taking a deep, shuddering breath.

Her palms were slick with sweat.

She tightened her grip on her purse strap and walked over.

Her flat shoes made no sound against the carpet. Yet, to her, every step felt like a sledgehammer pounding against her heart, deafeningly loud.

Christian looked up.

His gaze swept across her face before dropping to her feet—flat shoes. She had always worn high heels around him in the past, the four-inch kind that clicked sharply against the floor, demanding the world's attention.

He said nothing, simply withdrawing his gaze.

Lyra sat down across from him. A waiter approached, and she blindly ordered a latte.

She placed both hands on her knees, twisting her fingers together.

Silence.

It was far too quiet.

She couldn't take it.

"Christian," she began, her voice so small it sounded as if she were afraid of startling him.

Christian picked up his coffee and took a sip, refusing to look at her.

"Do you... know about Leo?"

His fingers paused against the ceramic cup before he set it down.

"That he isn't... your son."

Lyra's eyes instantly welled with tears.

"I never meant to deceive you," her voice trembled violently. "I really didn't. I had no other choice, Christian. I had no choice—"

"Do you have any idea how terrified I was when I first came back to the country?"

A tear slipped down her cheek, but she didn't wipe it away. She just kept staring at him.

"You weren't divorced yet. Your father despised me. If I admitted Leo wasn't yours, how would your family have looked at me? They would never have let me step foot in your home."

"Everything I did, I did for you. I wanted to be with you. I wanted your family to accept me. I couldn't lose everything just because of a child."

She reached across the table, desperate to hold his hand.